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The CITE, a blog published by the National Association of College Stores, takes a look at the intersection of education and technology, highlighting issues that range from course materials to learning delivery to the student experience. Comments, discussion, feedback, and ideas are welcome.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Surveys Show Digital Migration on the Rise

The latest
information released from the Book Industry Study Group’s Student Attitudes
Toward Content in Higher Education survey shows that students’ textbook rentals
and online purchases are up, while the college store share of course material
sales slipped.

The study
reported that 11% of students in the survey were renting textbooks, a three-point
rise from 2011. The number purchasing new textbooks slipped from 59% to 55%. At
the same time, the Amazon share rose from 25% to 31%.

In addition,
almost 48% of students said integrated learning systems help more with studying,
compared to 45% using printed textbooks and 37% using e-textbooks.

“Our research
shows that students are looking for greater value from their
textbook-purchasing dollar,” said Angela Bole, deputy executive director of
BISG. “How they define ‘value’ is rapidly evolving as they’re exposed to new
services and products.”

CourseSmart also
released information on students’ reliance on technology.
The company’s survey showed that of the more than 500 college students
responding, 98% use their electronic device for school and 67% can’t go for
more than an hour without using digital technology.

The CourseSmart
survey found that students are more likely to bring a laptop to class than a
printed book by a 51% to 39% margin. It also showed that 58% of the students in
the survey have taken an online course, 79% have submitted assignments online,
and 71% have taken a test or quiz online.

“The survey
underscores the undeniable influence technology has on today’s college experience,”
said Sean Devine, CEO of CourseSmart. “As technology continues to evolve and
digital devices become integral to the evolution of higher education, it’s
encouraging to see the positive impact on learning outcomes as students utilize
advanced devices and digital course materials to streamline and improve their
learning environment.”

The OnCampus
Research study, Student Watch 2012: Student Attitudes and Perceptions found that just 17% of students surveyed currently own an e-reading device and
that 62% of those who own the gadget bought it for leisure reading, compared to
just 39% using it for school. Additionally, just seven percent of the students
who currently do not own an e-reader have plans to buy one in the near future.